It looks like Cadarache in southern France has beaten out Rokkashomura, Aomori Prefecture, for the honor of hosting the hotly contested International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor.

A ministerial meeting of five countries and the European Union that are jointly developing the ITER project is expected to give the French site the green light later this month.

The Japanese government has bowed to the inevitable, officials said. In return for acquiescing, Japan is now placing priority on ensuring it receives as much as possible in the way of rewards, they said.

The split on where to build the futuristic facility came at a ministerial conference in December 2003. Japan, South Korea and the United States favored Rokkashomura, while China, the EU and Russia threw their support behind Cadarache.

Japan’s bid for the site was led by the Education, Science and Technology Ministry, which saw hosting the reactor as a way of ensuring that Japan would become the world’s leader in nuclear fusion energy.

The Finance Ministry, however, was skeptical about the idea, saying the cost of hosting the project would be huge.

The government was therefore far from being unified on the ITER issue from the outset.

According to sources close to the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed then Education, Science and Technology Minister Takeo Kawamura in August to settle the ITER issue “as early as possible,” even if it meant abandoning the idea of building the reactor in Rokkashomura.

Since then, the ministry has switched priorities to ways of securing rewards for forgoing the honor of hosting the reactor, the sources said.

During a vice-ministerial conference between Japan and the EU in September, Japan proposed that the country losing the ITER bid be granted rights to 20 percent of related contracts in exchange for bearing 10 percent of the project’s cost.

In a Japan-EU ministerial meeting in April, the EU broadly agreed to the proposal, prompting the ministry to study details of how Japan would be able to win related contracts, the sources said.

What rewards are likely?

A six-party vice-ministerial meeting on May 5 in Geneva, adopted a set of accords concerning preferential treatment for the losing candidate, including that it be:

• Allowed to have a remote-controlled ITER experiment unit, and one for the development of super heat-resistant materials for use in constructing an ITER.
• Awarded 20 percent of procurement contracts for building the main ITER structure, and entitled to provide 20 percent of the personnel for the planned ITER administration office.
• Entitled to fill the top position of the planned body.

The agreement to allow the losing candidate to have a remote-control facility is of especially high significance, according to experts.

The remote-control facility is envisaged as playing a key role in the ITER project, as it will be able to obtain all the data from the experimental fusion reactor via fiber-optic communications.

Given that Japan’s supercomputers are among the best in the world, they would be able to provide a nuclear fusion research environment as good as France’s, a senior science ministry official said.

The government has also proposed that all participants in the ITER project study the advisability of using the JT-60 system used at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute for plasma experiments, for building an experimental fusion reactor, the official said.

Original press release: Looking on bright side of losing ITER (Daily Yomiuri)

European energy imports are predicted to rise from 50% today to 70% by 2030. Wind energy is one of Europe’s largest indigenous energy resources and it can help to build European energy independence, according to the EWEA, the European Wind Energy Association.

Already today, wind power installed in Europe is saving over 50 million tonnes of CO2 every year. On current trends, wind energy can save more than 100 million tonnes of CO2 p.a. across Europe by 2010, delivering more than 30% of the EU’s total Kyoto Protocol obligation and generating power equivalent to the needs of 34 million European households.

“Wind power has no resource constraints; the fuel is free, endless. Wind power stations can be constructed and can deliver power far quicker than other conventional sources, with no import dependence and no fuel price risk. In terms of carbon delivery, wind energy is outperforming many other proposed solutions”, said Corin Millais, EWEA CEO.

“It is a widely stated truism that there is no silver bullet in the quest for climate solutions. However some bullets pack a deadlier punch”, said Millais. “Wind energy is an advanced technology which can cut carbon and help to meet growing electricity demand. Wind power is one of the few energy supply technologies that has the maturity, clout and global muscle to deliver deep cuts in CO2 . The competition for climate change solutions - like the earth’s climate - is hotting up. Wind energy needs to remain at the forefront of technical and policy innovations.”

The key role of renewable energies like wind power in tackling climate change is acknowledged. The recent European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment on greenhouse gas emission trends in Europe, for example, concluded that the promotion of renewable energy has the greatest impact on emissions in most EU Member States for both implemented and planned policies� (1). The International Energy Agency, IEA, estimates that the EU will need to build 766GW of power stations by 2030 in order to cover new demand and for replacement of older generation. The investment choices made now will determine the level of emissions of carbon dioxide for many decades.

Emissions trading on the other hand won�t be a short term boost for wind energy. The price of a CO2 allowance is unlikely to ever reflect the external costs associated with pollution and emissions of conventional power. Because allowances are allocated for free to existing polluters,most carbon based electricity is not covered . The cost of an emission allowance applies to the marginal unit of electricity, raising the market price for all kWh produced. So fossil power producers will receive the higher price for each kWh they produce but costs for emitting CO2 will only apply to the very small share of
kWh that does not benefit from free allocation. It is estimated that this could result in profits for power generators of 11-12 billion per year. Auctioning all carbon credits is the only fair market way to allocate costs. Precisely how the ETS will impact on the business strategies of all utilities remains to be seen over the next few years

Original press release: Wind Energy: Helping to Build European Energy Independence (EWEA - European Wind Energy Association)

With a review of energy policy around the corner, this report has been published at a critical time. It underlines the importance of wind energy in meeting our climate change and energy security goals. The report concludes that wind, along with other renewable technologies, “offers the only sustainable and secure option for generating electricity over the long term.”

Today’s report bolsters the role of wind power, making clear that the technology is “a critically important part of the overall energy mix”. The wind industry is expanding rapidly and is expected to contribute about 7% of the nation’s electricity needs by 2010 and potentially 15% or more by 2020 as part of the Government�s renewable energy targets and aspirations. BWEA expects that wind development to 2010 will be split roughly equally between on- and offshore projects.

Furthermore, the report highlights an earlier study that concludes that by 2020 wind power is likely to be the cheapest source of power generation in the UK - cheaper than coal, gas and nuclear - even without a carbon credit. The report has also calculated that the additional cost of generating a fifth of our electricity needs from wind would result in only “a very modest increase in cost for consumers”.

The report produces strong evidence that debunks many of the myths about wind power on key issues such as noise and impact on wildlife. Importantly it dismisses claims that intermittency is a major barrier to large scale deployment of wind power. The report confirms that significant amounts of wind capacity can be integrated onto our electricity network without the need for dedicated back-up and without compromising the nation’s security of supply.

Marcus Rand adds:

The Commission’s positive conclusions will come as no surprise to the three quarters of the UK public that believe wind energy is necessary to meet our current and future energy needs.

Original press release: SDC Report Underlines Critical Importance of Wind Power for The UK (BWEA)

Lisbon, Portugal - Ocean Power Delivery (OPD) is pleased to announce today the signing of an order with a Portuguese consortium, led by Enersis, to build the initial phase of the world�s first commercial wave-farm to generate renewable electricity from ocean waves.

The initial phase will consist of three ‘Pelamis’ P-750 machines located 5km off Portugal’s northern coast, near to P’voa de Varzim. The 8m project will have an installed capacity of 2.25MW, and is expected to meet the average electricity demand of more than 1,500 Portuguese households whilst displacing more than 6,000 tonnes per year of carbon dioxide emissions from conventional generating plant. A letter of intent has also been issued to order a further thirty Pelamis machines (20MW) before the end of 2006 subject to satisfactory performance of the initial phase.

The project is being supplied by Ocean Power Delivery - Portugal SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of OPD with full rights to manufacture Pelamis machines in Portugal. Construction of the project will begin immediately. Richard Yemm, Managing Director of OPD, said: “This is a significant milestone for
our company and for wave energy. We see this order as just the first step in developing the Portuguese market, which has the potential to be worth up to a billion Euros over the next 10 years.”

Gonalo Serras Pereira, Chairman of Enersis, commented: “After seventeen years of experience developing, constructing and operating mini hydro schemes, and nine years with wind farms, we believe wave energy will be the new Portuguese endogenous renewable resource. This move in conjunction with other potential partners may win significant industrial economic benefits for Portuguese companies as the market is developed and wave energy gains competitive advantage with other renewables.”

Announcement of this order follows high profile meetings held recently between British and Portuguese officials at the British Embassy in April. These were attended by the UK government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King, who highlighted the need for immediate action to tackle the potential impacts of climate change.

Original press release: Order Signed to Build World�s First Wave Farm In Portugal (Renewable Power Association)

Whether witnessed as destructive waves, gently rolling swells or mesmerizing rhythms along the shoreline, the sea’s energy is immense. In fact, experts estimate that just 0.2 percent of it–in the form of waves, tides, salinity and more–could power the entire world. Although the technology is 15-20 years behind that of wind energy, ocean power is a promising, clean energy source that is more predictable, available and energy-dense than wind is.

Led by Annette von Jouanne and Alan Wallace, engineers at Oregon State University (OSU) have found a way to tap into the ocean’s vast potential by developing ways to harness its energy and use it to produce electricity: buoy systems that can generate power just by floating in the ocean’s undulating swells. One such system, located one to two miles offshore, is a permanent magnet linear generator buoy. An electric coil surrounds a magnetic shaft inside the buoy, and while coil is secured directly to the buoy (see illustration), the magnetic shaft is anchored to the sea floor. When waves cause the coil to move up and down relative to the fixed magnetic shaft, voltage is induced and electricity is generated. Each buoy could potentially produce 250 kilowatts of power, and the technology can be scaled up or down to suit a variety of energy needs. A fleet of about 200 such buoys could power the business district of downtown Portland.

OSU’s proximity to the Pacific coast, combined with strategic research facilities in the OSU Motor Systems Resource Facility and the university’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory, make it a leader in this new technology. The researchers are planning a demonstration facility to test this developing technology in conjunction with the Electric Power Research Institute and others.

Original press release: New Buoys Convert The Ccean’s Energy Into Electricity (NSF)

Ahead of the Queens Speech tomorrow Sir David Wallace, Vice President of the Royal Society today (Monday 16 May) urged the Government to address, in the next parliamentary session, the difficult issue of how the UK can achieve an adequate supply of affordable energy while cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and warned that its current climate change policies are not working well enough.

Sir David made his comments as the Royal Society published its response to the review by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the UK climate change programme. The Royal Society warns that the Government is still overestimating how much the UK can cut its carbon dioxide emissions without changes in current policy.

Sir David said: There are some tough political decisions to be made, in this parliament, about how the UK manages its seemingly insatiable appetite for energy at a time when cutting emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide is imperative. This is underlined by the fact that, at the current rate, even the Governments revised assessment of how much carbon dioxide the UK will cut is frankly unrealistic.

The Royal Society points out that Governments climate change policies have largely not been responsible for the cuts in UK carbon dioxide emissions achieved to date. Instead these have been the result of changes such as the liberalisation of the gas market in the 1980s which led to a move away from coal and oil burning for electricity generation and a reduction in heavy industry.

The failure of Governments climate policies are highlighted by the fact that in 2002 2003 the UKs emissions of carbon dioxide actually increased by over two per cent.

The Government has already admitted that under current policies it will not meet its original target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent below 1990 levels, by 2010. Instead it has predicted that the UK will make a 14 per cent cut requiring a seven per cent reduction in emissions in the next five years in addition to the seven per cent already achieved in the last 15 years.

The Royal Society warns that unless the rate of development of both renewable and energy efficiency measures make up for the loss of capacity resulting from the phasing out of nuclear power, the UK will actually become more reliant on fossil fuels with the result that carbon dioxide emissions will go up rather than down.

Sir David said: Our emissions are clearly going in the wrong direction. The Governments revised climate change programme must spell out its resolve to look at how we deal with the loss of capacity from nuclear power stations and look at the role that all energy sources including nuclear, along with energy efficiency measures, might play in meeting the Governments ambitions for cutting carbon dioxide emissions. This is particularly important in the year that the Prime Minister has claimed international leadership for the UK on climate change by pushing it up the G8 and European Union agendas.

The Society has also recommended that the Government should, in its revised climate change programme, introduce a carbon tax which would put a cost on all emissions of carbon dioxide from all sectors including industrial, domestic and transport. This would encourage the development of cleaner technologies and a move away from carbon based fuels in the overall energy supply as well as promoting energy efficiency measures. A report by the Royal Society has shown that the impact of a carbon tax on the long-term global GDP would be negligible.

Original press release: Government Must Face Difficult Energy Issues in This Parliament (Royal Society)